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Emma Sulkowicz’s performance art draws support from campus activists

As long as her alleged rapist goes to Columbia, Emma Sulkowicz, CC ’15, plans on carrying a navy blue, extra-long twin-sized mattress wherever she goes.

Entitled “Carry That Weight,” the mattress is both the visual art major’s senior thesis and a step in her journey to come to terms with her experience. Over the past year, Sulkowicz has become a prominent critic of the University’s sexual assault adjudication policies, retelling her story to various administrators and media organizations to raise awareness.

“The past year of my life has been really marked by telling people what happened in that most intimate and private space,” Sulkowicz said, referring to the dorm bed where she was allegedly raped on the second night of her sophomore year.

“I was raped in my own dorm bed and since then, that space has become fraught for me. I feel like I’ve carried the weight of what happened there since then,” she added.

Months after her alleged rape, Sulkowicz reported the incident to the school. Her case, one of three individual complaints filed against the same student, was closed, and her rapist found “not responsible.” She appealed, but it was denied and the decision was upheld.

Sulkowicz’s piece, while intensely personal, has gained support from student activist groups who feel it highlights their struggle to improve the way Columbia deals with sexual assault.

“For [Sulkowicz], this is not necessarily entirely an activist statement, but this is her home, the place where she lives and works and breathes and has friends. It’s a place to grow and learn, and she has to have it violated day after day after day by the person who violently assaulted her. And that's disgusting,” fellow activist Zoe Ridolfi-Starr, CC ’15, said on behalf of No Red Tape Columbia.

“We talk a lot about when is it worth it to compromise our safety and put ourselves in risky situations to push this conversation forward, but we’re at a point right now where the administration has demonstrated time and time again their inability to work with students on these issues,” she added.

Ridolfi-Starr, who is herself a survivor of sexual assault and lead complainant in the federal complaint, said the burden of the mattress reflects Sulkowicz’s repeated appeals to Columbia to reconsider her case.

“[Sulkowicz] has done everything in her power ... hoping that the school will realize the heinous mistake they’ve made,” Ridolfi-Starr said. “But it’s been made clear to us that [sexual assault] policy changes will never include a retroactive review of closed cases, and that leaves her in a very difficult position.”

For her piece, Sulkowicz sought guidance from visual arts professor Jon Kessler over the summer, after she took a class with him during sophomore year.

“Carrying around your university bed—which was also the site of your rape—is an amazingly significant and poignant and powerful symbol,” Kessler said. “I felt I had something to offer in terms of how artists have done endurance performance pieces in the past, and the connection between activism and performance.”

Kessler feels the piece possesses enormous potential to make an impact on campus culture. “The best art comes from a very personal place and from personal commitment and belief—otherwise you’re just doing an assignment,” he said.

“As a physical metaphor, the piece has tremendous power.”

Both Kessler and Ridolfi-Starr, however, are wary of potential responses from the University administration.

Kessler, citing the recently leaked email from Columbia Title IX Compliance Officer Virginia Ryan, said that “with all this evidence coming up ... it's so clear the way uni feels about this issue.”

“You look at the seeming significance of the [sexual assault policy] changes made over the summer, but those changes are really just there to appease the media and to appease parents. They're not made with students’ best interests in mind.”

“So yeah,” he said, “I think the University would love to see this go away.”

Ridolfi-Starr agreed.

“I would not be surprised if [administrators] attempt to intervene with some kind of a policy mumbo-jumbo about a violation somewhere,” she said. “They’re dying for an excuse to get rid of her.”

It's simply not appropriate to discuss/elaborate on/talk about one's sexual history, victim of a crime or not, in such a public and ongoing manner. I'm not saying we should silence survivors/friends of survivors or make them think they have done something wrong, but for Emma (as aided by the media on and off campus) to keep dredging up the particulars of her purported rape (now with this visual and public element, too) is just not something that belongs in "The Public Square" (university or not). This is all on the Web, and this is all going to follow Emma for the rest of her life. When people Google her name, they will find numerous articles that graphically detail her rape, and that will naturally make people uncomfortable.

Ultimately, she is responsible for how she conducts herself and what she says, but I do wonder if she has thought seriously about what impact these college-year statements will have on her future career and/or romantic aspirations. This is tough and uncomfortable to say, for sure, but I'm glad I have said it.

Cowards often speak up by suggesting that what they have to say is difficult and that they're the only ones with the courage to say it.

Essentially, what you've told us is that you can't wrap your mind around what she's decided to do. And that's somehow her fault. And that she'll pay for that later on. You were right about one thing--she's definitely far more courageous than you can imagine. Most survivors don't even speak up. She's trying to change everything.

Also, do you think she's stupid? Do you think she's just doing all of this out of teenage angst? She's obviously made the choice to face her experience head on, so that she can move on with her life. The people she will spend that life with, working or loving, will self-select that for themselves. In that sense, she's doing herself a big favor.

I think it is an effort to shame a person away from campus, whom she accused through the university's disciplinary process where he was found not responsible. Then she reported him to the police, explicitly following the example of Lena Sclove, student at Brown University, who successfully shamed away the person she says raped her. But he wasn't charged or arrested, was he?
She has been repeating her story over and over again, calling the guy a serial rapist, even though he wasn't even accused of having raped the other two women. She supported that his name (among others) was scribbled on bathroom walls by self appointed vigilantes.
If you keep repeating a story over and over again, more people tend to believe you, it doesn't add any truth to it, however.
What she is doing now could well be considered harassing an innocent man (he has not been found guilty).
Columbia Spectator has covered this subject intensively with an extremely biased point of view, published the man's name without even allowing comments on their decision to do so. Shame on you!
I hope everyone who finds behavior like this courageous will someday be subject to an accusation without proof and publicly defamed.

Re: quite the contrary-
Oh man! I completely agree with you. I feel bad for her, and that she is choosing to turn the story of her ALLEGED rape into her senior project. How manipulative is that! To continue to call attention to the guy and keep calling him a rapist after she had consensual sex with him multiple times is beyond me. And, after both the school and the police didn't find her story believable. enough, I say!

oh, really! let her do what she wants? let her defame a guy who was not found guilty? When did this campus become anti-male? Why are women immediately called "Survivors" and men kicked out when, historically, there have been many , many cases of women falsely accusing men, and even described in detail how they are raped, just to admit, months later, that all was fabricated. (read: Brown, Yale, Vassar... you name it!).

See, but just because he wasn't found guilty doesn't mean she's defaming him. "We are not convinced that he raped her" isn't equivalent to "we are convinced that he didn't rape her," and so she remains innocent in the absence of being proven guilty. Even if the courts decided that she was defaming him, if she actually believed (presumably correctly, unless you want to argue that she has deluded herself into believing fabricated events) that he raped her, no one would be surprised when she failed to change her mind because of a court ruling.

I agree that the coverage of rape in some outlets has been colored by the biased language of internet social justice (although in some other outlets it is full of paragraphs bemoaning the fate of young men who 'just made mistakes,' so let's not act like one can't find media pandering to almost any viewpoint that will provide them with readers), but when people argue that the rape cases are "witch hunts," I feel like they're forgetting that, in the case of truthful rape accusations, the victim knows the truth. The accuser and the accused know the truth of what happened. Guessing is for others.

I'd love to see information on what evidence was presented in court and what the other witnesses (potentially the accused and/or the other accusers?) said. Based on the story as it's circulating the web right now, I'm hardly willing to start condemning the guy publicly (and I am very doubtful at best about the Spectator's decision to publish his name), but I'm still less to do so for the girl.

you know what's not appropriate?…. RAPE. If she's fine with telling her story why should you care how she chooses to express herself?……..oh it's going to make other people "uncomfortable"? let me break out the worlds smallest violin…. I'm sure hearing about won't be nearly as uncomfortable as the actual rape itself……asshole.

No, it's not going to make people uncomfortable - I just pity her little soul and that she's so desperately seeking attention and thinking that she is a "poster child" for rape. She has you, little elves to help her carry the mattress around.

Your lack of empathy for females is evident. You have pre-judged her as "obviously misguided and having a "deficiency." Have you ever met or talked with her? You have rushed to judgment -- against her -- based on your (unseen by you) prejudices against females. Why not just call her a "slut" and get all the stereotypes out there all at once? Why hold back?

Wow. You just KNOW she is a "misguided soul who wants attention" and you "pity her deficiency." You've never talked to her. Probably read zip about the story. No wonder rape victims don't want to come forward, when they get that kind of response.

I am struck by the way people on this site just assume she is lying. Since rape is considered a shameful thing for someone to endure, most people choose not to talk about it so they don't feel re-victimized. The fact that she's choosing to be public about it is makes it more likely, in my mind, that it happened. MANY people I know have endured rape, and it obviously happens every day all over the globe. Many more people endure it than those few who might falsely accuse someone.

OK. Rape 101 lesson. From what I have gathered, she had consensual sex (which is her right) and then she says the guy went out of control and forced her to have anal sex. For some people, a part of their brain gets activated during intimacy and they get forceful and violent. Possibly they have been abused themselves and feel a need to act it out. If sex is happening consensually and then a person says no, the forced sex is the part that is legally considered rape. No one has the right to force you to have a type of sex you say no to, even if you have said yes to another type of sex with them.

I'm liberal, progressive, feminist....and I think she's full of it. She appears to be an overprivileged, entitled young lady who's used to getting what she wants, and is now shocked to find that her story - which raises numerous red flags even before hearing the guy's side - isn't found to be credible. Progressives should really engage in some critical thinking and analysis before adopting an attention-monger like this woman as a deserving martyr.

I am struck by the way people on this site just assume she is lying. Since rape is considered a shameful thing for someone to endure, most people choose not to talk about it so they don't feel re-victimized. The fact that she's choosing to be public about it is makes it more likely, in my mind, that it happened. MANY people I know have endured rape, and it obviously happens every day all over the globe. Many more people endure it than those few who might falsely accuse someone.

I wouldn't want my daughter (or son) to attend Columbia if there are so many attitudes like this -- people who think females always lie about their rapes. Many police already have that attitude -- ever think that's why many rapes aren't prosecuted and rapists go free? Who wants to tell their story to people who might disbelieve and judge them negatively and let the abuser go free?

the sound of your violin is virtually inaudible. You may need an orchestra of the world's smallest violins to break world records, though I wouldn't be inclined to listen just so you can prove a point.

Hmm....so she should just shut up about rape because....it might make someone uncomfortable? And so an abuser can just go on and victimize others? And she might not be able to get a boyfriend/husband or job if she talks about it...because....everyone will think it's her fault and shun her? I see.

“[Sulkowicz] has done everything in her power ... hoping that the school will realize the heinous mistake they’ve made,” Ridolfi-Starr said. “But it’s been made clear to us that [sexual assault] policy changes will never include a retroactive review of closed cases, and that leaves her in a very difficult position.”

You're pissed because Columbia's sexual assault policy doesn't allow this young man to be tried again on the same charge after a legitimate acquittal that was upheld on appeal? I got news for you, honeybuns. Neither does the US Constitution.

Maybe if you actually went to class instead of, I don't know, constantly trying to get your face on the news and headline for US Senators, you'd learn about this thing called protection against double jeopardy.

So, I don't know really anything about Columbia's sexual assault policy, but A) there have been arguments made about the utility of double jeopardy laws in various contexts, and B) reviewing cases can lead to the discovery of legitimate grounds for retrial.

Your comment is such a waste. She really does make education in America seems like a joke. She is working on academic thesis for art, which is ridiculous to people who actually care about what art is, it is art but not worth an Ivy League art thesis, I really hope the people that consider her thesis think about what it means to have an art thesis. Her academic career should end in her showing what she has learned and accomplished, her skills and how she can apply them to things that will better the world (assuming that that is what we all want to do). This alone does not help the discipline of Art, it makes it look ridiculous. The only thing she is showing is she was a victim and making a Art career out of it. YES SHE VERY MUCH DEVALUES WHAT IT MEANS TO GO TO THAT SCHOOL AND GET AN ART DEGREE. She is so important she will go down in history for her struggle. LOL this has nothing to do with education anymore its about her, her "rape", and her justice. She barley cares about school if she is willing to end it based on rape and not what art is about. if you don't agree read my other comments and maybe you will.

Having a culture in which males are frankly free to commit a crime of violence on a school campus only to receive immediate protection because 'it's uncomfortable' is helpful for this campus, though? This is coming from a guy, by the way.

Just wondering: why has the University policy of prohibiting an environment of hostility not been applied here on behalf of Nungesser? He was found not responsible, and so in the eyes of the University, isn't publicly and repeatedly calling him out as a rapist grounds for a harassment-based gag order on Emma?

I'm not on anyone's side here - I just want the rules to be fairly enforced.

She wants CU to take action against her, it seems to be part of her victimhood performance: "I don’t know what other ways they might try and shut me down but I know they don’t want that kind of publicity on their campus."
Imagine the media, if CU took any action against her: "CU shuts down rape survivor!" etc.
No way Columbia will do anything, I bet. She is free to do everything she wants now on campus.

but the explicit goal of her "performance" is posted on Sep 4, 12:24am

to shame away the guy. Harassment = to create an unpleasant or hostile situation for especially by uninvited and unwelcome verbal or physical conduct.
So her "performance" is harassment disguised as art.

Her 15 mins of fame are over, but she doesn't know it. Is she going to carry the mattress if it's raining out or if she is too tired? I bet by next week she won't be carrying it. This is going to haunt her for the rest of her life. What company would risk hiring her? Who would risk dating her?

Wow. Your comments floor me. Not only did she have the crappy experience of being raped but she's supposed to now be considered un-marriageable and un-employable? Blame the victim, anyone? Why is it fair for some rapist to ruin her life? I guess she should just shut up about it and turn a blind eye while more people are raped. Or kill herself. That's what a proper lady does, eh? Your attitude sickens me.

How is she a victim? She has never been able to prove it. Why should we trust her word? You go ahead and trust her but I don't and many others don't. That's your right and this is my right. I choose not to trust her. And you can scream as much as you want, that is not going to change my opinion or opinion of others.

LOL YOU HAVE PREJUDGED HER IN THAT YOU BELIEVE HER WHICH IS A JUDGEMENT. Dude if the people that go to this school are commenting on this this way I feel even more bad for the school itself. Kids these days don't care anymore about being serious about academics and would rather discuss during their study THIS. What a sad story for everyone involved. The alleged rape is almost the least saddest part by now.

No, I would never offer to carry her filthy mattress for her and be part of her shaming of an innocent person. She had consensual sex with someone and she tried falsely accused him for rape 1.9 year later and no one believed her. I am very sorry guys but why should I just believe her word and be against the guy - just because she says so? What she is doing now is reprehensible to say the least.

You don't understand, she had consensual sex and is twisting the story towards her own gain. Who would TRUST her? That is why she is unemployable & un-dateable, she is toxic...who would trust her not to sue them for something they didn't do?

I think I do understand where you are coming from. You have pre-judged HER guilty. Do you understand the definition of rape? Are you aware there are some people who get power-hungry and "snap" during sex, and it becomes forceful and violent, and the other person is hating it and saying "NO" but trapped? Then it is no longer consensual, it is rape. It is illegal. It's not fun. It's humiliating, painful, and leaves emotional and sometimes physical scars. No one deserves that. I wasn't there; not sure what happened in this case. But I have studied the issue and I know too many rape survivors. And I notice how quick you and others are to assume she is lying, manipulative, or crazy. That's disturbing. Have you studied rape at all? Know any survivors' stories? That might be helpful.

what about the presumtion and prejudging of those accussed. He now apparently has to prove he didn't do something and even then you wouldn't be satisfied. there are never any consequences for women who lie, but for the guys, you can't unring this bell and he shopuld go after her hin the courts.

that a real life Columbia University Professor is supporting a harassment project against one of Columbia's own students: the accused who was found not responsible by the University and wasn't charged with a crime when the "victim" went to the police, most likely because there was no evidence?
How does that combine with CU's pledge to provide a safe learning environment for every student?
Come on Mr. Kessler! Join the mob!

At first glance I didn't think much of this but then I read the story. I am now very impressed by the thoughtful way campus sexual assault is addressed by this young woman. A victim of assault will always bear the weight of the burden of the post-trauma memories. This mattress illustrates the burden in a way I would never have dreamed and it makes such a clear point. I wish there were a day of support every year, across the nation, the beginning of the school year, when all students who want to see a more victim oriented approach to assault at universities, would stage a march with mattresses. It sounds crazy but it would certainly get attention.

Every time I try to click "thumbs up" for a comment I like (and against this crazy "performance") you arranged that what is shown is actually "thumbs down" . You are manipulating our votes? Let people comment what they want!

At this point, nobody REALLY knows what happened with this case. We don't know if he raped her, or not. We weren't in the room when it happened. The case was left in the hands of the justice system and he was found not guilty.

I don't see why (as onlookers) we have the right to judge in either direction. That being said, I don't see why she continues to feed us onlookers who (in the first place) shouldn't have anything to do with this. Garnering the support of her fellow classmates is an obvious attempt to shame him out of campus. She's using the fact that Columbia has a huge network of hardcore feminists and people who are willing to jump on any bandwagon they can to "break the unjust rules of society" as leverage.

The poor guy... his name's soiled and he's being pushed out of school for something nobody KNOWS is actually true. I hope he still has the option of peacefully finishing his time at Columbia and getting a job somewhere people won't think ill of him.

As for you, Spec, you should have thought twice about publishing names before anything was official -- you may have tarnished a good man's name. We'll never know. Shame on you for name-dropping.

I see, in your comments, much more concern about the "poor guy" and his reputation and image than the woman's. Her life can be ruined -- so what, she's just a female. But imaging tarnishing the reputation and future of a real human being, a male. We saw this with Steubenville too -- who cares about a girl being raped; let's pity the poor football players who molested her and hurt their own careers (probably just temporarily) in the process? Any idea what it's going to take for her to recover her life? But female lives are not as important, so who cares.

oh and you just KNOW her accusations were false, rather than understanding that campus rapes are hard to prosecute and she may not have had the right guidance and had prejudiced people working against her.

Of course rape is horrible - no one disputes that - WHEN IT ACTUALLY HAPPENS, and when it's proven beyond reasonable doubt. If Emma was able to prove the crime actually happened - I would be first to come to her defense and support her. BUT If you can't prove it - sorry - we have laws. Otherwise what will prevent others to accuse innocent people 1.5 years after the "alleged incident" and DEMAND that we all believe them. Why would I believe her and not the guy???? Why? Because she is a woman? That's what you're asking us to do - right? We now hate guys?

No. We don't hate guys! You seem like a decent person capable of thinking through this issue. But if you know anyone who has been raped or have studied the issue at all, it's clear that the testimony of the male often trumps the testimony of the female in a rape case -- and that SHE will often symbolically be on trial. (What was she wearing, why was she in the place where it happened, is she credible, what's her sexual history, etc.) Did you follow the Steubenville case at all, and if so, how was the victim/survivor treated by some of her peers and adults in that community?

Also, even when rape kits are used for proof that a rape occurred, they often sit collecting dust in police stations. Have you followed that national news story? Unless there are rape advocates on a college campus that a rape survivor knows about and feels comfortable going to, or she can get to a hospital right after a rape, the evidence won't be collected in time. And females are often discouraged from coming forward and giving evidence. I know several young girls who were raped whose parents didn't want them to go through the trauma and stigma of a trial.

Repercussions are also feared -- many victims are threatened with reprisal, and they may fear for their lives, reputations, jobs, and relationships. Females know what they are up against when they report a rape -- it is to risk not being believed and/or being blamed. They are often in shock after it happens, sometimes in pain or badly injured, feel humiliated and frightened, don't always know their rights, and think they are somehow to blame. (Society has helped with that attitude, by not educating males and females on the legal definition of rape, and by not teaching males to respect females). So, rape victims frequently don't come forward. And they know there will be attitudes like some of those on this website -- or much, much worse -- to contend with if they do go public. In our culture -- and it's much worse in other parts of the world -- we have a long, long way to go with the issue of rape. There are, and always will be, good and intelligent people who understand that rape is a tragedy and a crime, and that survivors need help and understanding.
Of course no one should claim rape if it didn't happen! But the opposite problem is much larger: Many, many rapes are not reported, rapists walk free, and victims are blamed. This is a huge problem around the world.

You seem to be nice too. Instead of just focusing on rape victims you should focus a little on victims of false accusations. And believe me, there are way too many of those too. Have you heard of the Vassar, Brown, Yale, Princeton cases of false accusations, where guys were accused, spat on, kicked off campus even though they were innocent, and that their accusers came forward later on and admitted they were lying? (reasons vary) Because those cases do exist we should be careful when we brand someone "rapist" or "victim". That is why we have laws so we don't ruin people's life on someone's word alone. I am sorry about Emma and her whole life that will be marked by this case. But what evidence did she give Columbia or Police to believe her. Her word? I am sorry, it just doesn't work that way. And the fact that she is usurping and affecting our social life (canceling of the concert an so on...) with this makes me feel really angry. There are other venues she can pursue with her "case" outside of Columbia, but she, in fact, FEELS SAFE here to do what she wants - NOT threatened. I just find the whole thing out of control

Male or female, I hope you have the courage to think about what Emma and other students at Columbia are saying about the problem of sexual assault on campus, and in general, educate yourself about the issue, and use an open mind. That's what the Ivy League is all about, right, open minds?

Why are you conflating Stuebenville with this? Those kids were found guilty; this kid was not. Stop with the straw man BS. She had her day in court, and she couldn't prove her case even under the low standard of preponderance of the evidence. It's over. But apparently her sense of entitlement and privilege can't accept this. She's acting like a spoiled brat, frankly.

The fact that so many of you are using, "He was found not guilty by a court" is such a good point. I mean there's never been a case where a court has freed a guilty man, right? The American Government, or any government for that matter, has never judged wrongly in any case in the history of mankind. Alright, now that we're done playing make believe let's get real. Now the opposed brings up a good point, nobody knows what happened that night. So who are you to shame her for standing up for herself because it brings 'too much attention'? You don't know that man was innocent anymore than you know he was guilty and yes I know as a society we tend to put men up on this pedestal where they can do no wrong but I find it repulsive that so many knock her down for standing up for herself. This has become a society in which we don't believe anything unless it was video taped and posted on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. She has every right to be doing what she is doing and I, for one, think it is inspiring.

The fact that so many of you are using, "He was found not guilty by a court" is such a good point. I mean there's never been a case where a court has freed a guilty man, right? The American Government, or any government for that matter, has never judged wrongly in any case in the history of mankind. Alright, now that we're done playing make believe let's get real. Now the opposed brings up a good point, nobody knows what happened that night. So who are you to shame her for standing up for herself because it brings 'too much attention'? You don't know that man was innocent anymore than you know he was guilty and yes I know as a society we tend to put men up on this pedestal where they can do no wrong but I find it repulsive that so many knock her down for standing up for herself. This has become a society in which we don't believe anything unless it was video taped and posted on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. She has every right to be doing what she is doing and I, for one, think it is inspiring.

Yes, she presented her case to the Columbia "tribunal" and before the police, and it was dismissed - sorry what would you like to happen - we just believe her word? If she is not happy with their decision, there is the Federal Court. She just likes to play the victim and she is an attention craving queen.

Read the story from The Blue and the White in the link below. Some of you are saying that the officials at Columbia and in court didn't find enough evidence to charge the guy, so that proves that sexual abuse didn't happen. Read about the flaws in the process of reporting and giving testimony that these women say they experienced.

that only the accuser's points of view are presented in this story? Columbia is prohibited by law to give any information about these cases and the person accused hasn't said anything so far. That's a convenient position to say anything you want and make people believe it's true.
Anna Bahr's piece basically writes down what she was told by "victims" who were disappointed that CU didn't expel a guy they accused without any evidence. This was not and still is not journalism but propaganda.

yes and you JUST KNOW this about her, right? Have you ever spoken with her? She too is innocent until proven guilty -- crazy that our society assumes the opposite with rape victims. Only crime where the victim is on trial. If someone stole her purse or mugged her it would be a whole different thing.

yes and you JUST KNOW this about her, right? Have you ever spoken with her? She too is innocent until proven guilty -- crazy that our society assumes the opposite with rape victims. Only crime where the victim is on trial. If someone stole her purse or mugged her it would be a whole different thing.

Every spoken with her? Most people don't enjoy publicly displaying the shame associated with being a rape survivor. People tend not to be very sympathetic, as you can see from this website. What's your evidence for saying you know she "likes to play the victim and is an attention-craving queen?" Do you think it's possible she *might* be very brave and trying to heal and protect others from going through something horrible? Please at least consider that before pre-judging her motives. Better yet, try talking with her in a polite way and get a sense of what kind of person you think she is, before publicly bashing her. No doubt she needs understanding and kindness if her story is true. And you don't know whether it's true or not.

Some of you are honestly so dumb and stupid it's ridiculous. NEWS FLASH there were other females who filed a complaint against THE SAME INDIVIDUAL so you think it's just a coincidence the same man has been cited for the SAME crime on MULTIPLE occasions? Get a brain. It's a free country she has the right to express whatever she's feeling in anyway that she wants and to the person who said that it was inappropriate to "express" this publicly can just go to hell. RAPE happens and there are some individuals out there who won't stand for it and they are going to speak out against how heinous the crime is. NOONE gives a damn about how "uncomfortable it makes you" or how "inappropriate" you think it is they want their message to be heard which is that rape is WRONG and Disgusting period point blank.

Awesome response. I totally agree with you. Rape is WRONG and people need to hear that and not be afraid to say that. Male or female -- we have to have the guts to say this is a crime of power and violence and it is WRONG.

go course it's wrong - no one disputes that - it's horrible - WHEN IT HAPPENS.
False accusations are also criminal but our system protects women who falsely accuse guys. And that has happened many, many times...

The reality is that rape is very common and is WAY under-reported and under-prosecuted across the globe, people often face repercussions if they report it and police often look the other way. It is a very misunderstood crime, where the victim is doubly victimized by societal attitudes toward it. The reality is that there are many more real rapes than "made-up" rapes.

What she is doing is so much worse. The guy was found innocent in two courts. She is harassing, defaming and terrorizing this poor student who was found innocent. I hope someone brings her up on charges and throws her out.

Ever think it might be embarrassing and feel extremely vulnerable to go public with her rape, and she wouldn't do it unless it happened, she knew it was a crime, and she doesn't want it to happen to others?
The fact that two other women on campus brought complaints against this guy makes it much more likely that he had a pattern of abusive treatment of females. There often is a pattern that these guys display.

Why do we find it acceptable for women to openly harass men in public? Can you imagine if a male student paraded around campus that a fellow female student was a slut? What would that last all of thirty seconds?

I've had drunk girls all over me and my friends at Columbia parries - trying to put their hands into my pants, grinding against my body, touching me, kissing me - all unwanted. Did it ever cross my mind to file sexual assault charges? No - I just thought - they're drunk, and moved on. And let me tell you, all of my male friends have hundreds of stories like this. I hope something changes and they start filing charges against women who harass them. Turn the table against female sexual harassers, guys! I know that guys have stronger moral standards, so unfortunately, that probably is not going to happen. Too bad.

I keep seeing this analogy made, and I find it interesting, because the opposition to 'slut-shaming' is independent of the truth of the 'accusation,' whereas I suspect that you would have no issue with the man's being accused of rape if you were convinced it were true. I should hope so, at least, because otherwise you are suggesting that men have equally as much "right" to rape women as women do to have consensual sex. So, then, your objection, though phrased as if it were on the grounds of gender inequality, is actually based in your disbelief of the woman, and since I have to assume that you know that the people defending her believe her (and therefore you have no authentic reason to act as though you don't understand why this isn't the same as 'slut-shaming'), I take it that you are acting in bad faith to confuse the issue.

You think you know enough about what happened to call it a "fake performance...." were you there? You give the "poor male student" the benefit of the doubt when three women say he hurt them? Sexism, anyone? Yes, if we just deny the reality of rape and call women "liars" who fight for their civil rights, all will be well.

Yes, it is just one person...and that same one person is posting thousands of similar comments on every media article covering this spectacle. The girl should put the mattress back on the frame and go to class.

What courage Sulkowicz demonstrates Many women have suffered the horror and outrage of being raped or assaulted on college campuses. She makes our nation stare this outrage in the face. That takes a huge amount of guts and unselfishness on her part. I hope Columbia administrators respond with half of her integrity and courage with to address a culture that tolerates rape and eliminate the possibility of others being abused on their campus.

NOPE! We are all responsible for our own actions. How was her situation in that room indefensible? She had no voice? She had no strength to file a complaint the following day? week? month? year? two years? So she can show those signs of forcible penetration, strangulation and all other things she fabricated and added to her story. Sorry all of you who are suffering with her - I don't buy it one second. But you go ahead and carry her mattress for her.

Sorry, y'all -- rape is torture, and she has the right to tell her story and ask others to think about how females in our culture and other cultures are tortured with rape, then blamed and told to shut up about it, sometimes even killed in other parts of the world for being victimized that way. Rape is not just having sex you weren't in the mood for. It causes mental and often physical anguish, often very severe. That's what's sick here, that some people in our society are so immune to male privilege and sexism they can't even empathize with a rape survivor; they don't even understand the effects of rape. Emma has to bear the burden of proof and deal with the "drama queen" insults and (in some quarters, I'm sure)) the slut-shaming. That's why she's carrying around her mattress -- that's the weight she and all females have to bear in a world that tolerates sexual abuse of females. (I'm aware that males too are raped - and that's incredibly wrong too. The numbers are much higher among females though, from FBI and other statistics.)

So, I'm searching for sympathy for Ms. Sulkowicz, but I'm not finding it. Rape is horrific. Convicted rapists should go to jail. And stay in jail for a long time. But that doesn't mean that someone is a rapist merely because a women walks around claiming he is. What are the known facts here? There aren't many, but here's what I've been able to glean from Ms. Sulkowicz's statements. She had consensual sex with the alleged perpetrator at least three times. In fact, she admitted that she consented to having sex with him moments before she claims she was forcibly held down as her anus was penetrated. The issue that I'm wrestling with is why should I believe her. How do WE know whether she had anal sex? And, if she did, how do WE know how, when, why and where she gave consent to sex, but not anal sex (if that occurred)? According to the press reports, the university's hearing committee did not find that there was a preponderance of evidence to support her claim. According to the press reports, the police didn't find enough evidence to support a reasonable suspicion that Ms. Sulkowicz was raped. And, speaking of the police, why didn't Ms. Sulkowicz wait a year and nine months to report the incident? Granted, the reported facts may not be all of the facts, but that's what WE know. And, based on what WE know, there appears to be real questions about Ms. Sulkowicz's version of events. My question to you all is why is anyone so quick to dismiss the findings of the University's hearing panel? And why is anyone so quick to dismiss the results of the police investigation? What basis do those folks have? Unlike the hearing committee and the police, those folks certainly haven't investigated the facts. So what's their basis? It seems that some people just jump to conclusions based on some self-propelled impulse to reach a result. Where is their support? And, why are they so intent on dismissing those who investigated and considered were wrong?

I understand. But how do you know if that happened? You don't and neither do I because we aren't privy the all of facts. At this point, I'm operating under the rebuttable presumption that those professionals who investigated and considered the all of the available facts reached a reasonable factual conclusion. I certainly don't have any basis to challenge that result. And neither do you.

Perhaps. But there's no reason to believe that the "system" failed here. From what I understand, women were part of the University Committee that investigated the matter. And women served on the panel that reviewed the appeal. The process seems fair and balanced and well-considered. Does anyone have any basis to conclude otherwise? What about the police investigation. Is there any reason to conclude that the police were corrupted in sifting through the facts? I'm just not swayed by platitudes like the "system isn't fair" when there is no evidence to support that here and all of the available evidence contradicts it.

A male prosecutor I know who has prosecuted *many* rape cases told me that women on juries (and by extrapolation, a panel such as this) can be harder on females who have been raped than the males on said jury/panel. They think "that wouldn't happen to me or my daughter." This is called denial. It is also called internalized oppression. Police have historically frequently been unhelpful in rape cases. (Not all, but many.) Have you followed the recent news out of the UK about children sexually abused repeatedly by gangs while police looked the other way and treated the victims with utter disdain? Sometimes police and societal biases against victims are blatant, other times subtle.

But there's still no reason to conclude that the process was unfair here. It appears, based on your suggested reasoning, that panels, juries, investigators, hearing committees, etc can't review and evaluate sexual abuse claims impartially and fairly. The end result or your reasoning is that anytime anyone accuses someone else of being rapist, the accusation must be presumed to be true. I just don't buy it. Sure, there are failings and flaws and blemishes and biases that could result in unjust findings. But, with the exception of repeated platitudes and broad generalizations, no one has explained why the multi-tiered and independent reviews that occurred here were unfair or unsupportable. It seems like certain commentators are drawing on their own internal biases to reach results that they are intent on reaching -- irrespective of the record. I certainly wouldn't want those commentators to serve on a jury if I were being judged.

Of course men who rape --or women, when they sexually abuse others -- shouldn't be automatically considered guilty. It's just that, based on what I have read and seen, justice frequently isn't served for victims of rape. The female victim is in a "one-down" position (so to speak) when trying to prove a rape. Without physical evidence (which has to be collected very soon after the rape, during a period when victims are often still very freaked out, sometimes injured, trying to figure out whether they have the courage to report with all the crap they know they will have to take for that, not to mention possible reprisals), or witnesses, it comes down to "he said, she said" and there I think the perpetrator is at an advantage. If the victim is credible and there are others with similar complaints of being similarly victimized, that is helpful. These are not platitudes, they come from experience and reading. Do you read much about sexual assault? Have you spoken with any survivors?

Also, survivors need advocates on campus or in the community to tell them their rights and support them emotionally right after the trauma, so they feel they can go forward and report, and know they will be supported in that ordeal.

Rape is not a joke. Rape is not good we understand this. Her thesis has no power for it literally teaches nothing but her own struggle and people need to realize the struggle of rape for humanity is far more important than her own. If she decides to make her Academic thesis based on her own rape for art I consider her un-intellectual for it does nothing but make her feel comfortable with what has happened to her and does nothing but victimize and label herself further. Most people will literally learn nothing from her and her mattress, the people who do learn something were most likely not going to rape anyone anyway. I think the school should downplay her thesis very much so in that she literally did nothing for her thesis other than discover rape is very bad for herself in an extreme way and discuss that it had happened to her and why she is pulling this stunt "art". If she thinks this idea of hers is worth merit, If any of you do, you are the reason why education has gone down in the world. You cant educate people about something in which they already know. As far as her wanting to get attention she has done just that. Her academic career would be a joke compared to the seriousness of the personal experience of being raped.

I think you misunderstand what she's trying to do with her thesis. She's trying to bring attention to the very real human problem of rape. As a society, we need to talk about this. It's not going to go away by being hushed up. We've already tried that.

Every one should know rape is wrong, who doesn't know. The problem is the way we teach people about rape, this only further stigmatizes rape making people who have to go through it more shamed. The only good she shows is that she can talk about it openly. That is literally the only good example she is setting. People that don't tell truth out of embarrassment or shame are just ignorant. They are ignorant to the fact that there is no reason to feel shame or disgust in oneself. If everyone that was raped just came out with it they would be able to get over it better and this is the only thing this article shows. Is is not I who does not understand.

I really like what you wrote here. Except I don't think she's further stigmatizing herself. At least, people shouldn't react that way to her. She's trying to take away the stigma, for herself and others, by saying "I don't have to hide because I didn't do anything wrong." I'm glad to hear you agree with her message, if not the medium.

I really like what you wrote here. Except I don't think she's further stigmatizing herself. At least, people shouldn't react that way to her. She's trying to take away the stigma, for herself and others, by saying "I don't have to hide because I didn't do anything wrong." I'm glad to hear you agree with her message, if not the medium.

I really like what you wrote here. Except I don't think she's further stigmatizing herself. At least, people shouldn't react that way to her. She's trying to take away the stigma, for herself and others, by saying "I don't have to hide because I didn't do anything wrong." I'm glad to hear you agree with her message, if not the medium.

Sorry, According to my research she has been quoted saying “The fact that I had to tell an embarrassing story and then teach them an embarrassing subject on top of that felt really gross,” which indeed stigmatizes what had happened women who were raped should not feel gross. They need to understand that it is not the case and it's a shame they don't get recognition they deserve worth their pursuit of it. Even she has given reason to fear with her story and in that the media has failed. It's like saying everything is okay but everything is not okay and most people give into the fear that it is not okay so now a girl may read her words and feel gross afterwords in ignorance for the truth is that there is no reason to feel gross you have been wronged thats it. People need to talk about things as though they are not bad but something in which should not be done for the sake of what is right for human interaction. It is my opinion that she may have an ego that she pursues to fill and if she were ego less she would learn and move on instead of needing to make a way of being such as this. Feelings of hurt come from and ego and when there is an ego there is separation of you and I but we are all one. She will do what she will but and that's fine. I just hope she really knows why she is doing it and hope her intentions are flawless.

I think you misunderstand what she's trying to do with her thesis. She's trying to bring attention to the very real human problem of rape. As a society, we need to talk about this. It's not going to go away by being hushed up. We've already tried that.

I think news about this should stop being published by this outlet because it is obvious you do not fully understand what anything relative to this situation means.
She was allegedly raped and is using it for A(for an academic thesis for art, which is ridiculous to people who actually care about what art is, it is art but not worth an Ivy League art thesis, I really hope the people that consider her thesis think about what it means to have an art thesis. Her academic career should end in her showing what she has learned and accomplished, her skills and how she can apply them to things that will better the world (assuming that that is what we all want to do). This alone does not help the discipline of Art, it makes it look ridiculous. The only thing she is showing is she was a victim and making a Art career out of it. B( The attention toward her own alleged rape. She wants justice for what may have happened to her and will do what she can. If anything this news just hinders all of the students in that they may now have a new fear or topic that is not relevant to what they should be pursing. She is literally dampening everyones focus because some of which is on her for the only reason of an alleged rape. People get serious about being a human or just shut your mouth. If she wants to tell people about her "rape" then she can do it all she wants but I also think she should not involve academia and progress of the human disciplines of education and art.
It's the problem with most of you people today. You can't tell when someone is doing something that doesn't make sense because you think everything is relative and special to you and therefore everyone else. The truth is you are not special you are just one out of and infinite amount of things with a short lifespan. All you should be focusing on is what is really beneficial to other people and I can say this is not even news worthy for it brings more bad than it will ever bring good.
The problem (for people that don't understand) is when some one sucks you don't have the courage to tell them because then "oh no, I may suck" and no one wants that because then they have to go through cognitive dissonance which the brain has so much trouble with. When someone's sh*t is sh*t tell them its sh*t or they will never learn. This is sh*t and it's a distraction. If people really want rape to stop they will get f*cking serious and make it stop; the world must learn that the stop comes from within.

I think news about this should stop being published by this outlet because it is obvious you do not fully understand what anything relative to this situation means.
She was allegedly raped and is using it for A(for an academic thesis for art, which is ridiculous to people who actually care about what art is, it is art but not worth an Ivy League art thesis, I really hope the people that consider her thesis think about what it means to have an art thesis. Her academic career should end in her showing what she has learned and accomplished, her skills and how she can apply them to things that will better the world (assuming that that is what we all want to do). This alone does not help the discipline of Art, it makes it look ridiculous. The only thing she is showing is she was a victim and making a Art career out of it. B( The attention toward her own alleged rape. She wants justice for what may have happened to her and will do what she can. If anything this news just hinders all of the students in that they may now have a new fear or topic that is not relevant to what they should be pursing. She is literally dampening everyones focus because some of which is on her for the only reason of an alleged rape. People get serious about being a human or just shut your mouth. If she wants to tell people about her "rape" then she can do it all she wants but I also think she should not involve academia and progress of the human disciplines of education and art.
It's the problem with most of you people today. You can't tell when someone is doing something that doesn't make sense because you think everything is relative and special to you and therefore everyone else. The truth is you are not special you are just one out of and infinite amount of things with a short lifespan. All you should be focusing on is what is really beneficial to other people and I can say this is not even news worthy for it brings more bad than it will ever bring good.
The problem (for people that don't understand) is when some one sucks you don't have the courage to tell them because then "oh no, I may suck" and no one wants that because then they have to go through cognitive dissonance which the brain has so much trouble with. When someone's sh*t is sh*t tell them its sh*t or they will never learn. This is sh*t and it's a distraction. If people really want rape to stop they will get f*cking serious and make it stop; the world must learn that the stop comes from within.

I think news about this should stop being published by this outlet because it is obvious you do not fully understand what anything relative to this situation means.
She was allegedly raped and is using it for A(for an academic thesis for art, which is ridiculous to people who actually care about what art is, it is art but not worth an Ivy League art thesis, I really hope the people that consider her thesis think about what it means to have an art thesis. Her academic career should end in her showing what she has learned and accomplished, her skills and how she can apply them to things that will better the world (assuming that that is what we all want to do). This alone does not help the discipline of Art, it makes it look ridiculous. The only thing she is showing is she was a victim and making a Art career out of it. B( The attention toward her own alleged rape. She wants justice for what may have happened to her and will do what she can. If anything this news just hinders all of the students in that they may now have a new fear or topic that is not relevant to what they should be pursing. She is literally dampening everyones focus because some of which is on her for the only reason of an alleged rape. People get serious about being a human or just shut your mouth. If she wants to tell people about her "rape" then she can do it all she wants but I also think she should not involve academia and progress of the human disciplines of education and art.
It's the problem with most of you people today. You can't tell when someone is doing something that doesn't make sense because you think everything is relative and special to you and therefore everyone else. The truth is you are not special you are just one out of and infinite amount of things with a short lifespan. All you should be focusing on is what is really beneficial to other people and I can say this is not even news worthy for it brings more bad than it will ever bring good.
The problem (for people that don't understand) is when some one sucks you don't have the courage to tell them because then "oh no, I may suck" and no one wants that because then they have to go through cognitive dissonance which the brain has so much trouble with. When someone's sh*t is sh*t tell them its sh*t or they will never learn. This is sh*t and it's a distraction. If people really want rape to stop they will get f*cking serious and make it stop; the world must learn that the stop comes from within.

There is a subjectivity to art this is true. What about this is beautiful. I just explained how if anything it FACTUALLY does nothing but make things in almost all aspects of the situation worse. For example the body has natural reflexes to heaving at adverse stimuli. Smelling something foul naturally does this and with this I imply there is also an objective side to art which can be explained. If all art was relative there would be no such thing as good art or bad art. With relativity there is no common ground and considering there are a lot of humans we are more than capable of finding that common ground for which we stand. My standards must be higher than your and that is really all I have to say about the claim Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That kind of talk gets nothing done

"I'm told" lol "I need verification that I am a good critical thinker." Get real. :) Sorry I didn't put "too". lol. You said my well thought out comment was to vague meanwhile your comment on my vagueness does not do anything to tell what was vague about it which is too vague in of itself. Troll somewhere else if not trolling again get real.

You do not know of my humble nature, I am sure of what I am saying at this moment but I do take the position I don't know more than you will ever know. (or perhaps you will) :p I'm not a nasty person These are my opinions and I think you are not a good comment considering all you did was critique mine with nothing more than small claim. I'm going to be goodnight. I also hope I have not offended anyone I just firmly believe that my opinion has a good weight to it that has something worth hearing. Believe what you will I just know that my comments were not vague so I called you out you know. Facebook me I have a lot of cool things I guess.

Sorry for poor grammar. I don't own a cell phone or go on the computer but only to read so I have poor spelling and grammar issues. I hope people understand and don't judge me on it (for I believe they would be misguided), it's all I have don't H8. :) <3

So I can allege somebody did something bad against me, never have to prove it happened(again the word "alleged" is everywhere in the article), and can get someone expelled? Where is the logic in that? There is no proof this happened, but we should punish him anyways? I feel bad for the guy. This chick is nuts.

Your inherent negative biases are very revealing. A "chick" (not a "woman") who claims she is raped is slapped with the "crazy" label by you. Wow. But the "poor guy" is presumed innocent automatically by you. Hmmm.

I know what you are saying but I think he is saying she is nuts in that she wants punishment for something that can't be proven. Which is crazy considering we live in America and we have based law on innocent until proven guilty. Yet again she is the one who says it happened so it's either it did and justice is not served or he did not and she is fighting cognitive dissonance.

Read the story in The Blue and the White. The process seemed designed to let the guy go free, was not nearly supportive enough of the women he attacked or tried to attack. Survivors of campus sexual violence need skillful and sensitive administrators and police, as well as campus advocates, who understand sexual abuse, help them know their rights and not have to deal alone with all the horror and difficulty of reporting when your world has just been turned upside-down and you are afraid.

The problem with the mattress performance art project is that it is actually a protest. Emma S. indicates that she will carry the mattress until the student cleared of rape by two panels and the police is removed from campus. The project should be about the trauma associated with being raped but not about this particular incident and this particular student.

This is probably the best way she can get on with her life, seek justice, and also bring attention to the issue of rape -- a personal story is probably more effective than a generic protest. Just my thoughts. Also, tends to confirm my suspicion that she strongly feels she was denied justice. Whether he's removed from campus or not, she is free to express her pain and outrage.

I feel so glad to have attended a college where rape was taken seriously and survivors could receive justice. Columbia seems light years behind when it comes to understanding rape, its effects, and how it gets swept under the rug. So glad I did choose Columbia, if these are prevalent attitudes of many students and administrators. A lot of it has to do with underlying attitudes toward females. Unless things change, I will not recommend Columbia to anyone, male or female.

Disagree. It may be more comfortable for them to avoid a potential lawsuit and having to expel someone than to decide it didn't happen and ask her to sweep it under the rug like other survivors. Or they may simply not have had enough evidence. That doesn't automatically mean it didn't happen. And if you read some of the articles about campus rape, some US college administrators are struggling to understand rape and to deal with these kinds of cases which are new to them.

College is about Education,Philosophy, and discipline within the field of knowledge you wish to attain. The idea that you would not recommend a school based on alleged rape rather than the actual strive for knowledge is misguided. I cannot speak for the school for I do not go but I do believe if Education was the main concern of people it would be certainly better. Some people are not paying attention to this right now and focusing on something far more fascinating for the betterment of all humans. They will never care about her rape for they will not know because they were focused on themselves trying to make the world better. She should understand that there are far more bigger struggles in the world that if were dealt with would probably end rape (not to imply I would like her to stop, she does what she wants lol I just think people should think about it in a different way). As humans we should move through Maslow's hierarchy of needs as a whole. We have the technology to work our way up. In my opinion we all need to change civilization and the way it is run, Make free energy (WHICH EXISTS) something available for everyone. Really capitalism is ruined it does not work. We really can make all of our dreams come true for free we don't need money we just need to put in the time. Time is our lives and time is not money Time is who we are (when we make ourselves) it is what we do. Some of us will work to go to school have a house and all that but it means nothing if we all do it as slaves to something bigger than us. I know most of you will not agree but tv has you, advertisements have you, the educational systems has changed no hands on learning anymore. It makes us consumers. People used to learn plumbing, carpentry, mechanics, cooking, and we don't learn that anymore because it makes us more dependent on a market. We humans are getting lazier and lazier and eventually we can be lazy but a lot of work would need to be done. Along with a whole revolution of human perception to understand things in a way that can no longer separate us. I know this is a lot but it relates to other posts of mine on here.
If you wish to not recommend because of alleged rape be my guest or for whatever purpose as long as you really look at the big picture and think it is something that is fair for you to do. If I sound weird I may be a bit you may empathize with me better if you read my other comments although you may not care that much anyway.

Also it is late so grammar and or punctuation is no concern of mine if you cant read it learn to and try again. Sorry really. :<

Right now, she's creating her own trauma and her new identity, that she shouldn't have. Her desire for PERSONAL attention and people patting her on the back as a "poster child for rape" is disgusting to me.

As often happens in rape cases, you are holding the female responsible. She is "creating her own trauma." That is classic victim-blaming. I agree she should not have this new identity. It sucks to be a rape survivor. No one wants that identity. But far too many have it, whether they talk about it or not. How disappointing that you are not disgusted by her wishing to speak out against rape, but are disgusted by her instead. Attitudes like yours make victims decide not to come forward and to suffer in silence. Be disgusted by rape, not by someone who claims to have been raped. At least give her the dignity of acknowledging she may be telling the truth, whether or not it's a truth you want to hear. Rape is disgusting, not victims, and not people who work to make rape less possible and less stigmatizing.

And, if you don't mind my asking, how do you know she is a victim? She said so? her description is so horrific we must believe her. And if we disagree - that's victim blaming, slut shaming and what not. When did we stop questioning things and started believing stories just because they fall into our vision of the "rape culture" myth that we like to delve into. I read this story, and I see that people are adding more and more elements to it.

Personal stories are probably most effective in combatting rape. Rapists who have seen and heard testimony of how rape affects people were able to feel remorse and potentially stop raping. It's when rape is not discussed, trivialized, and the victims blamed, that rape flourishes. Also, ever think that telling the truth might be healing, rather than assuming you as a survivor were at fault, hating yourself, and committing suicide? Or would handling it that be way be more acceptable and less "disgusting" to you?

What disgusts ME is people being raped on college campuses (or anywhere) and college and community officials not taking much more seriously the need for prevention, support for victims, and appropriate efforts to see that justice is done.

I'm unaware how well it really works, but this is the kind of stuff we should be talking about and using. The article connected to this one is way better in my opinion, The women struggling in this situation at leasts benefits all of us to talk and discuss something we know is important. Good Job people. :like:

I was going to delete my Facebook and stayed off of it for a few days but it really is the only way I can talk to a good amount of people, sadly no one likes what I say or at least never reply anyway. Facebook is beautiful sadly it's not being used to really push ourselves toward the unity it really does. :) We are all perspectives of the same thing, we create the notion of self through separation and division via thought and comparison. This has been the life of man since his becoming. The real truth is we are all the whole universe. Everything expands in all directions. If we were 65 million lights years away and looked at earth we can see dinosaurs. If we went further we would see us. Time is distance and perspective and the rate at which light is observed or that is anything that is to be observed and is observed. When we look on we look onto ourselves. "The real deep down me is the whole universe"- Alan Watts
We are the whole universe looking at itself to learn more about itself. I would say I enjoy the ideas of pragmatism, solipsism and peace in practicing ones awareness(I would not say I follow the philosophical ideas but take from them to apply to my intuition). I really wish for the life of a religious man of prayer and gathering, to put my energy to unifying with humans on levels we wish to for the sole benefit of the whole energy of human consciousness. Sorry to get metaphysical but I feel this is really what is is all about you know. :) Peace.

We are all reflections of what is and radiate everywhere in infinite directions from our being. I also believe there is dimensions beyond human perception that we may one day evolve into seeing but this is highly theoretical although something possible as there may be more plains than xyz which is three dimensions (read about it, Einstein,Hawking, I also enjoy eastern based thought (Buddhism and Taoism. J. Krishnamurti, Rajneesh. Human consciousness can go further people. I just sit, wait, and try to give an opinion on what the truth is like everyone else.

How is she allowed to go on national TV and national newspapers and call this guy a "serial rapist" when that is a completely false statement? He was found not guilty by Columbia and in the court system even though the cards were stacked against him. Charges should be filed against her. The national outlets don't know that this did go to court and he was found not guilty.

He may have been found not guilty because there was lack of evidence to convict him (e.g. DNA). But he may still have raped her. She knows what happened -- she was there. She may not have been raped, but in my experience, few people would go through all that (reporting to campus and police, an embarrassing and traumatic experience, and drawing national attention to the case, also potentially very embarrassing and traumatic) if they hadn't really been violated. May not be comfortable for you or the university to think about, and you want it/her to go away, but try for a moment to put yourself in the shoes of someone who was raped while trying to get an education -- as happens to many females --and you may understand why the issue needs attention.

Likely the national outlets know that. At this point, it's his word against hers. So there's at least a 50 % chance she was raped. Just because the courts didn't have enough evidence to prove she was raped, that doesn't mean a rape may not have happened. It only means they may not have felt there was enough evidence, and/or may have chosen not to believe her. Many rapists are not convicted.

What makes you think the "cards were stacked against him?"
Very often it's the victim whose cards are stacked against him/her, who must bear the burden of proof during a horrible time, with less than understanding authorities to talk to, and the societal messages that "she asked for it/deserved it/we'll find some way to make it her fault."

A NEW level of victim-blaming: charges should be filed against HER....
let's make what happened to her truly and finally invisible by making her the perpetrator....the slut....the one who should have somehow prevented it....
Have we seen this anywhere before? Ring any bells?
I am also surprised by your naiveté in thinking that everyone who ask for legal justice gets it, and if they don't get justice, they must have been lying. Sorry, our system just isn't that perfect.

I read something helpful: In general, it's often easier to identity with a perpetrator than a victim. After all, none of us want to be victims. I'm not saying I do know for sure what happened in this case (I wasn't there) but I think I understand something about social attitudes that make it very hard for victims to come forward, and to receive justice and empathy. The tendency for people to identify with a perpetrator is part and parcel of that.

So now, although you were not there, you are sure SHE is abusing HIM.
You cannot consider the possibility that her claim of being abused by him is true. Logic says there's at least a 50% chance she is telling the truth.

This is truly in line with the tendency of people to blame the victim. Very sad and twisted logic, in line with historical social attitudes about rape. The victim is blamed. No wonder so few are willing to go public, and choose to suffer in silence. She's hurting him to seek attention. She is the bad guy. That's your knee-jerk assumption. I invite you to look deeper at the issue of rape and the other possibilities you are ignoring in this case.

Thank you to all of you who seem to understand the plight of sexual abuse, and what victims are up against, or are at least willing to keep an open mind on this painful subject.

Of course no one should make a false accusation -- that is a despicable thing to do. If she is doing that, she is very wrong to do so and should cease and desist. But, sadly, false accusations are much less common than real ones, and way too many people don't report sexual abuse at all, for fear of being further stigmatized by social attitudes, or fear of being hurt or killed.

Just wanted to let you guys know that this story has now become global. It's been featured on Der Spiegel today, Germany's leading news magazine. I predict that it will be reprinted and relinked in various other German news outlets over the next few days.

I'm glad that I did some more digging on this by myself though, the article, written by a female journalist of Der Spiegel, conveniently omitted the fact that both the Columbia administration and the police acquitted the male student.

The female journalist however chose to word it: "The college administration found that the accused should not be held accountable."

Meaning "the college administration let the rapist walk away scott-free". Journalists of course know how to choose their words just carefully and vaguely enough, so that they can't be held liable in court for slander. Little white lies are perfectly acceptable, of course.

If this story is covered in a similarly manipulative way by American "journalists", I imagine the young man will be run out of town in the near future. So much for due process and the rule of law.

Maybe if males didn't feel they had to have sex with females in order to prove their masculinity, we'd all be better off. Males don't have to "score" in order to prove their maleness. but I don't think that's the message society gives. Even violence is acceptable to prove you are able to "score" --what is sex, a soccer or football game? -- and show you are powerful and virile, a real man. Female lives are being harmed and sometimes wrecked in the meantime. No means no, dudes. Consent is a must. Rape hurts, emotionally, mentally, and often physically. People carry the scars around with them for years.

this girl is making a joke of people who have been raped for real. This girl is mad about a break up and had on idea so she thought "I know lets say I was raped. teacher has to give me an A now." She smiles any time she talks about the "rape" any one who has been raped doesn't smile when they talk about. Women raise up and tell this whore to shut the hell up, you're making it worse for women who have been raped.

I do think Emma should seriously consider pursuing her case with the District Attorney, where the police referred it. The police said there could be a solid case based on her testimony and the other two women's. She has said there would be a delay of up to a year before going to trial, and by then she will have graduated and wants to leave her memories of Columbia behind -- but, it's something to seriously consider, Emma, if you want to see justice done. Maybe continue to talk with the D.A.'s office or another attorney in the meantime, and keep your options open.

Actually, some women who have been raped are still able to smile. They may cry and frown a whole lot too but at least all of their strength and joy can't be taken away. And it shouldn't be. Do you know anyone who has lost a loved one to death? They cry and are sad, and yet, they are still able to smile sometimes. That's called being human. Why should a rape survivor have to pass your weird imaginary tests in order to "prove" she's been raped (e.g., never smile?) That doesn't mean she's happy about being raped, it means she's resilient despite everything, and maybe determined that this isn't going to ruin her life.

Actually, some women who have been raped are still able to smile. They may cry and frown a whole lot too but at least all of their strength and joy can't be taken away. And it shouldn't be. Do you know anyone who has lost a loved one to death? They cry and are sad, and yet, they are still able to smile sometimes. That's called being human. Why should a rape survivor have to pass your weird imaginary tests in order to "prove" she's been raped (e.g., never smile?) That doesn't mean she's happy about being raped, it means she's resilient despite everything, and maybe determined that this isn't going to ruin her life.

The more I read, the more I think Columbia failed Emma S. and the other women who reported sexual abuse at the hands of the same guy. Here's how:

1) Emma says she was not allowed to write out her own testimony. At my college, when three women were attacked in the same year, each woman was instructed by the college to write out her own statement about what happened to her (separately, without reading anyone else's). In Emma's case, she says she had to dictate her testimony to someone who misunderstood some of her testimony. So they ended up with a document that had errors and omissions and reduced the credibility of her testimony. The survivor should be allowed to write her own testimony.

2) Emma says at Columbia each woman's testimony had to be heard by separate panels at different times. Thus, the panelists didn't know about the other attacks. At my college, the same guy attacked three women. From each woman's separate independent testimony, college administrators and local police were able to see similarities between the first two attacks. In the third case, the guy was caught red-handed trying to assault someone.

3) Emma says some officials at Columbia who heard her story seemed inexperienced in handling rape cases. At my college, the women who brought their joint case to the police then the District Attorney were from the start surrounded by supportive college officials and rape advocates, along with friends and family. They were treated with respect and compassion, offered counseling, and helped with each aspect of bringing the case to court and successfully prosecuting it. There was more evidence in this case than Emma's, but there are similarities (three women attacked, guy behaving in a similar way with each one).

Columbia needs to do a very serious review of how they deal with students who report sexual violence. Improper or inadequate procedures, as well as a lack of understanding about the nature of rape, and a lack of sensitivity to survivors, can definitely undermine survivors' chances of getting justice, and healing from their ordeal.

"Carrying around your university bed—which was also the site of your rape..." how do you carry perceived wrong? How do you carry "alleged?" How do you carry the weight of condemning another due to psychiatric trauma?

Im sorry, but I saw her out on Friday night with her friends WITHOUT the mattress. So....she isn't carrying it around everywhere, and particularly to places where she would be most vulnerable to get attacked. I dont know, I just think its kind of interesting that she would carry it to class that is supervised by a professor but not to a bar which is full on individuals who are consuming alcohol. Food for thought

All this sound and fury really boils down and renders to one inescapable witches' brew of troubles: the university did not find, in accordance with their own policies, that this man had raped Emma; the appeal to the university did not find a compelling case to overturn the initial ruling; and the police did not enough evidence to move forward with an investigation. As we are a people of laws that weigh the rights of the accused alongside the rights of the accuser, it is necessary and proper and correct for the authorities to investigate the veracity of allegation. Where evidence is lacking, the accused retains his presumed innocence. Basically, on three separate formal investigations the case presented based on the available evidence was not adequate to support the allegation. Therefore, if we are a people of the law, we must accept that outcome.

However, it seems many are ruled by their passions and prejudice (either for or against the accuser) and wish all manner of strange and unusual punishments on either the accuser or the accused. Quite simply, we, as a society of people governed by the law, have a duty to combat these displays of ignorance with proofs of sober and rational thought. These passionate people who call for all manner of punishment for the accused--without direct knowledge of the alleged crime and with only their prejudices, politics, and passions to guide them--are simply giving in to the baser passions that animated lynch mobs. Simply put, lynch mobs were nothing more than a group of supremely self-confident people who took their own brand of social justice into their own hands without reference to due process and the rights of the accused. Likewise, those who accuse Emma of lying about this whole situation have decided to place her in the stocks and hold her up for scorn and ridicule. Not being able to substantiate an allegation is not the same thing as making a false report. Just as the other side used inadequate evidence to jump to the conclusion that he raped her, those who accuse Emma of lying are merely supporting the same shameful behavior with a different reading of the situation. Maybe he did rape her--once again, just because there is not enough evidence to support her claim does not mean that it did not happen.

However, I am 100% sure that Emma's current behavior constitutes the harrassment of her accuser. Unfortunately, the evidence does support that conclusion. As for this protest serving as her art project, I only say that I have jo opinion on art. I like what I like and everything esle is simply "not for me, but for someone else."

Last night, I attended a dreadful evening for prospective students and their parents featuring Rice, Columbia, Cornell, Brown and Chicago. As you know, about 2% of 4000 colleges have Title IX investigations. Among this batch of five universities, three, or 60% have very serious Title IX investigations. When it comes to Brown and Chicago, there is one complainant; when it comes to Columbia, there are 23 signatories to the Title IX, Clery and Title II complaints (if I have my facts straight).

These schools view themselves as top research universities and that's very nice, but safety obviously comes before educational quality. If the school isn't safe, there is no reason for me to move on to assessing the academic quality of the school and the fit for my daughter.

What I needed to hear was how the schools are addressing the issues in the complaints. How quickly do these schools get rapists off their campus? How smoothly does the school respond to sexual assault complaints? Would the needs of my daughter and her friends be met or would they meet with institutional betrayal? What prevention measures have been implemented? What is the school policy, no means no, yes means yes, or something else? When will the title IX complaints be resolved?

Not one admissions counselor addressed campus safety. It was as if they were living in an altered reality. They mentioned the famous people who taught or attended their schools (other than Emma, who has 1.5+ million YouTube views); they flashed architectural photos. My daughter and I got dressed up, we drove to the presentation, we jammed ourselves into a crowded room and all we got were marketing sound bites and visuals, hardly content we would consider in making an application decision. Schools seeking intelligent applicants would be wise to provide crucial decision-making information, like financial aid, safety, and quality of undergraduate education. Given that safety wasn't mentioned, I have to assume it is of low priority.

I don't really care and her particular feelings don't really matter to me. The very idea that becasue she claims tohave been raped the the accused denies it, means that she get the benefit of the doubt is complete garbage. Although I now would probably think twice about asking her ona date unless i filmed the entire encounter with sound and had a signed consent form. Look forward to seeing who she ends up with !!

he should now go after her for damages, get on the offensive. An accusation is just that. I am not qyuite sure what message carrying around her mattress where the deed was done, is sending.. a bit like Monica Lewinsky's dress i suppose....maybe like i Zimbabwe you go undressnaked to embarras the man. it would at least be show for all...

yes she appears to be 'back on the horse' out with friends, sans mattress and looking fo a new fbuddy to fill the empty, gaping, 'somone got there b4 me and i can smell it', void.. good luck wit thday one guyz.

Was confirmed she lied to everyone for attention and benefits. The gender studies department supported it with no evidence as another cause. Liars also, many probably knew it was false cared not etc. etc. This has become the modern witch hunt. All the while they keep repeating the line society endorses rape, whilst simultaniously benefiting from the hysterical reaction of society to rape. Irony much...

Mattressgate: Sulkowicz very well knows that Tracey Emin has made millions from this sort of "conceptual art," specifically she knows about the recent $4 million auction sale of Emin's, er, MATTRESS. --- Sulkowicz has successfully launched her career as a transgressive cutting edge relevant epater-les-bourgeoisie artist. --- Not a bad strategy to adopt at the time (near graduation) she was pondering how to get her art-genius career started. Looks like dump-the-boyfriend and invent a marketable art object (how much is she going to charge for the famous mattress artwork? $10,000? $50,000?, more?) Some people call this case a rape fantasy case, but it might be more of an Ivy League career-launching case.

Liar liar liar liar!
Why is this demonstrably false bullshit still up, she is a confirmed liar and probable sociopath. As it was all done as an effort for extra cred it and attention etc. This has even been admitted. Yet she still gets to go to this school amazing female entitlement isn't. If it were a man he'd be in jail, ket alone be aloud to stay on campus after creating a false campaign to threaten and intmidate another student for personal gain. It's disgusting.The whole of society bends itself to women and they scream oppression. Women like this only create hate, quite willfully too. That's explicitly obvious at this point. Just stop feminists you are actually hurting lots of people, oh they are only men, they don't matter. Yet when we point this out we are called sexist? History will remember this as when women took their ancient privilege of protection way, way too far into obvious oppression of men!